A suspect in Lakeland’s mass shooting is dead after leading Lakeland police officers on a lengthy pursuit Monday afternoon, including a carjacking, then being shot and crashing into a Winter Haven business.
Authorities attempted to execute an arrest warrant in Winter Haven when chaos broke out. Alex Greene, 21, allegedly fled from deputies as they attempted to serve him the warrant on Monday.
FDLE, the ATF, and Lakeland police officers engaged in a car pursuit that lasted for about 15 minutes before coming to a halt outside of a family restaurant close to the junction of Havendale Boulevard and 15th Street Northwest. Judd and Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said in a press conference.
The LPD detectives gave chase, following Green north through Winter Haven and onto Havendale Boulevard, where LPD Capt. Eric Harper used a “pit maneuver” to stop the white Silverado pickup truck Green was driving, Judd said.
After that, Green hijacked an elderly woman’s Toyota Camry at Andreas Family Restaurant on Havendale, Judd said.
Melissa Ingram, the manager of the Food Mart at 15th Court NW, said she heard gunfire, saw a car hit a car, come across Havendale Blvd and head west, hit a small SUV, spinning it around, before the car drove into The Hamilton Co.
Ingram said she saw first responders performing CPR on one man as he was being loaded into an ambulance.
The ambulance took Green to Winter Haven Hospital, where he was declared dead, Judd said.
Police are confident that Green was involved with last Monday’s shootings on Iowa Avenue a little south of Memorial Boulevard, in which 11 men were injured but nobody died, Taylor said. He would not elaborate on what role Green played.
Judd said Green had multiple warrants out for his arrest before Monday. Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said the department feels like Green was involved in the mass shooting last Monday but wasn’t sure of his exact role.